A woman who says she was raped by Cincinnati Reds pitcher Alfredo Simon in April 2013 filed a civil lawsuit in Washington D.C. Superior Court on Thursday. / Charles LeClaire, USA TODAY Sport

by Rachel Axon, USA TODAY Sports

by Rachel Axon, USA TODAY Sports

The woman who accused Cincinnati Reds pitcher Alfredo Simon of rape in a civil lawsuit filed Thursday released a statement Friday speaking to the effect the alleged assault has had on her life.

"The public may know me as Jane Doe, but I have a name, a face, and a family," she said. "I am as human as the next person. When I moved to DC for my job I really wanted to help people. I always felt so fortunate to have the family I did and especially my education. I wanted to make a difference. Being a counselor for at-risk youth was hard but there was nothing more fulfilling than helping someone to become the person they were mean to be.

"But I never went back to that job after April 27, 2013. I sometimes feel like this man stole my sense of purpose in life. I am in therapy now trying to work through the pain, but I am still angry. While the physical injuries have healed, I will never be the same."

The woman filed a lawsuit seeking $15 million in damages in Washington D.C. Superior Court. Jack Quinn, Simon's lawyer, called the claims in the complaint "totally baseless."

The woman alleged that Simon, 32, assaulted her while the Reds were in Washington for a series with the Nationals in April 2013. They met at The Huxley nightclub, where a man who said he was Simon's manager met the woman and introduced her to Simon and Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto.

According to the complaint, the woman went with Simon to the Mayfaire Renaissance Hotel. Early in the morning of April 28, she resisted Simon when he became "rough with her." The complaint alleges Simon anally raped the woman, causing injuries that were noted in a rape kit taken later that morning.

The woman reported to Metro Police, who investigated and quickly passed the case to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. In a meeting with the woman and her attorney two weeks after she first reported the alleged assault, the U.S. Attorney's Office declined to press charges, the woman's lawyer said.